Crashing about on rowing machines

The 28th CRASH B World Indoor Rowing Championships attracted over 2,000 competitors to Boston, the United States.

The women’s open category was extremely tight through the body of the 2000m race with Xiaoxia Yan of China hot on the tail of Estonia’s Kaisa Pajusalu. A time of 6:49 gave Pajusalu the win over Yan with American Tessie Allan taking third. Pajusalu competed last year at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships while Yan is a regular member of her country’s women’s eight. Pajusalu’s win also earned her another winning hammer as the fastest under-23 racer. 

France dominated the top end of the open men’s event. Cedric Berrest and Julien Bahain finished first and second respectively with Berrest clocking a time of 5:48. Berrest and Bahain both competed in the quad at the Beijing Olympics where they won bronze. Third in the event was Estonia’s Allar Raja who also raced in the quad at the Olympics. Raja’s massive finishing sprint almost earned him second, but Bahrain managed to hold off the Estonian.

Germany’s Marie-Louise Draeger won the lightweight women’s open event in a time of 7:05 followed by regular indoor rowing competitor, Juliane Rasmussen of Denmark with Michelle Sechser of the United States in third.

There was nothing between Italian’s Marcello Miani and Augusto Zamboni in the lightweight men’s open event. Less than a second separated the two Italians at the end with Switzerland’s Moritz Hafner very close in third. Miani’s winning time was 6:14.

The 30 – 39 year old lightweight men’s category attracted much attention with former German team member Peter Ording competing against 2008 Olympic gold medallist Thomas Ebert of Denmark. Ording won this event last year and he declared every intent to defend his title. At the line Ording was first followed by American Andy Quinn with Ebert in third.

Three records were broken. American Dick Cashin (55-59 heavyweight men) set the new time at 6:18.6. Luanne Mills (USA) broke her previous record in the 70-74 lightweight women’s category. Her new time is 8:12.7. Mills also has the 65-69 lightweight category record. The third record was broken by 90-year-old Joe Clinard of the United States. Clinard raced in the 90-94 heavyweight category and finished in a time of 10:07.8. He was one of three 90-year-olds racing at the CRASH B’s this year.

For more results go to: www.crash-b.org